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Re: Travel to Japan

I was in Japan for 10 days in 2008. We stayed at a college in Nishiyomia (between Kobe and Osaka). I had a lot of time to visit Osaka and went to the Osaka Museum and Osaka Castle, as well as visiting Dotonbori (a famous shopping district in Osaka). I also went to Kyoto (another excellent destination if you want to see a lot of really old culture and shrines). Check out Nijo Castle and gardens, The Golden Pavilion and probably thousands of other shines, there's also Geisha Town and some great shopping and eating.

In Hiroshima and Miyajima Island (part of Hiroshima I believe) I would tell anyone interested in history to go and see the Peace Memorial Gardens and museum, the Atomic Bomb Dome etc. Miyajima is where the famous Torii is in the water. We also went to Himaji and visited the castle and gardens there, but didn't see much of the town except on the strip from the bullet train station to the castle.

I also took a bus to Tokushima Island to vistit Naruto City and see the Onaruto Bridge and the whirlpools there.

Pretty much anywhere in Japan is going to be awesome, but it is quite costly. We never got to go to Tokyo because of time constraints, plus the bullet train ride to Tokyo from Kobe would have cost $300 US dollars.

That said, I would probably tell you that if you want to go one place and stay there, then go to Tokyo and spend your time exploring the city. Traveling around is difficult without a guide or someone to let you know what to do and where to go in advance. The Japanese are very friendly and helpful to travelers, but the language barrier makes being lost very difficult, and maps? HA! All I can say about that is, "directions" do not work the same there as they do in America and finding a place by an address is um...I never could do it, and neither could my Japanese host on at least one occasion.

well, I guess I'm not very useful, but those are some suggestions of places you could visit at least. I hope your trip is a fun one!

Don't go to TiDhA. It's dead. Japanese porn has overtaken it."My heart was calm and still. Still and pure. However, it was purely evil. The only thing I desired was to grow stronger." ~Vegeta

Re: Travel to Japan

i recomend kyoto for giesha and there is a small town nearby ( i forget the name, gomen) which is like samurai town. the entire place looks like something from the warring periods, complete with guys walking around as samurai. i think there's a ninja theme park, too >_>;

if you wanna go to tokyo, everyone knows akibahara is geek central; the train stop labeled tokyo has got the imperial palace, among other sights. Roppongi has a lot of clubs and nightlife, massage parlors (some happy ending, some not, pay attention to prices. if it is really high, its happy ending.), and its the closest exit to Tokyo tower, tho its still a bit of a walk. shinjuku and shibuya are also kinda famous, for the bussiest foot traffic in a road in the world, and the skyscrapper district.

not to far down the lines from tokyo is yokohama, a city with lots of malls, and the "sky garden", the veiwing deck on the tallest building in japan. on a clear day, you get a great view of mount fuji. it is beileved that if you dont climb mount fuji while you are here, you will come back. a bit further is kamakura, with lots of famous temples and shrines, including the giant buddha, and after kamakura is yokosuka, where i am not much here compared to all the cities, but there is a lot more american stuff, and the two things near every base: bars and... okay, there are no strip clubs (that i know of) but lots of happy ending message parlors. oh, and shore patrol might think you are a sailor (if you're american, or american looking), and try to stop you from drinking after 11.

the subways are very easy to navigate, and if you have trouble, most people speak some kind of english. if you can pronounce where you are going, they will help. hell, if you so much as look confused, they might try and help, with or without you asking. there are also guys threwout the train stations at desks that can help you (they usaully even have little pocket maps of the train systems you can use). there are two major train companies ( i dont know thier names, its like jp and kiekyu, or something like that. theres almost always a store near the train stations, when you first get to the station, you would wanna go to the store, and ask the cashier for a "suica (su-ee-ka) card". there is another card for the otehr company, i dont know what its called, but they are interchangable. both railways accept the other's card. it will cost a little more than 2000 yen (like $20 give or take), and you can use it to get into/out of train stations. i recommend putting another 2000 or so yen on the card at the things that look like atms near the train station entrance. depending on which station it is, there will either be a red button to ask for help, or a little thing on the bottom left you can push aside, with a push-for-help button under it. if it is this kind, i warn you now, a guys head WILL pop out of the wall right next to you. dont push it just to see it. theres also a push for english button, but i couldnt tell you where it is offhand. i beleive its on the upper left side. when you get to the the turnstiles, there is a a little square display with a picture of a suica card on it, you tap the card on this, and it will read the card and let you in. you exit the next station the same way. two last things, around seven-ish is rush hour on the trains. you will be packed in like a sardine, with guys wearing white gloves pushing everyone in. i'd avoid it, especially if you are a woman, and most definiatly if you are a blonde woman. the other thing is be aware of your surroundings. most japanese are extreamly polite, and try to act as the best hosts as they can (even if they must go way out of their way to help you, i've heard of them even going to a train station with you to make sure you get on the right connection) but there are always bad apples. im sure everyone knows of the groppers on the train; there are also hi-tech theives that can steal money off your suica card by waving a reader near your wallet (this nearly happened to me in shibuya)

Last edited by rabb; March 06, 2010 at 03:32 AM.

I Am A United States Sailor.
I Will Support And Defend The Constitution Of The United States Of America And I Will Obey The Orders Of Those Appointed Over Me.
I Represent The Fighting Spirit Of The Navy, And Those Who Have Gone Before Me To Defend Freedom And Democracy Around The World.
I Proudly Serve My Country's Navy Combat Team With Honor, Courage, And Commitment.
I Am Committed To The Excellence And Fair Treatment Of All.

Re: Travel to Japan

It's true, many people do speak English well enough to communicate and help, and most will go to extreme lengths if they feel you need it. Also, the service industry has been perfected for ease of use without much communication needed.

And I have to add that I laughed really hard about the head popping out in the previous post...that didn't happen to me, but it isn't something that I would never expect. Always beware of pushing buttons. You may set off an alarm. Or a head may pop out...

Don't go to TiDhA. It's dead. Japanese porn has overtaken it."My heart was calm and still. Still and pure. However, it was purely evil. The only thing I desired was to grow stronger." ~Vegeta

Re: Travel to Japan

it happened to my gf at the time. i heard about it before then, so i knew it was coming and she didnt. i wish you couldve seen her face. i litterly was on the ground rolling

I Am A United States Sailor.
I Will Support And Defend The Constitution Of The United States Of America And I Will Obey The Orders Of Those Appointed Over Me.
I Represent The Fighting Spirit Of The Navy, And Those Who Have Gone Before Me To Defend Freedom And Democracy Around The World.
I Proudly Serve My Country's Navy Combat Team With Honor, Courage, And Commitment.
I Am Committed To The Excellence And Fair Treatment Of All.

Re: Travel to Japan

I previously lived in Tokyo for years.. It was great..
I was lost in Ginza once and walked up to a lady and gave her my phone..
and my friend told her where I was trying to go, the lady walked me the whole way there... Another time I left my laptop in a cab... he brought it back later on...

I was amazed, then I tried to get on a train at Shinjuku station at 9 AM....
OUCH!

Re: Travel to Japan

My friend and I went to a restaurant one night without realizing it was very close to closing time and by the time we were done eating it was way past time to close, so we felt bad and decided to leave a tip...bad idea. The woman chased us down the street to give it back to us.

Traveling in Japan tip? Easy. Never leave a tip.

Conversely, while at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago we were in line next to a Japanese couple and their tour guide and she was having a lengthy discussion with them about who they had to tip and who they didn't, and I thought, wow, it must be a nightmare coming here from there. Not only do most Americans not know any kind of Japanese, or could even recognize the language spoken as Japanese in the first place, but our customs must seem outrageously convoluted.

Don't go to TiDhA. It's dead. Japanese porn has overtaken it."My heart was calm and still. Still and pure. However, it was purely evil. The only thing I desired was to grow stronger." ~Vegeta

Re: Travel to Japan

oh yea, forgot to mention that. its actually insulting them if you leave a tip (sorry, dont mean to make you feel bad). the way they see it, if you give them a tip, it's because you think they are about to fired. it always makes me uneasy about given the japanese cab drivers on base a tip. they have signs saying that tips are appriciated, but still...

I Am A United States Sailor.
I Will Support And Defend The Constitution Of The United States Of America And I Will Obey The Orders Of Those Appointed Over Me.
I Represent The Fighting Spirit Of The Navy, And Those Who Have Gone Before Me To Defend Freedom And Democracy Around The World.
I Proudly Serve My Country's Navy Combat Team With Honor, Courage, And Commitment.
I Am Committed To The Excellence And Fair Treatment Of All.

Re: Travel to Japan

i recomend kyoto for giesha and there is a small town nearby ( i forget the name, gomen) which is like samurai town. the entire place looks like something from the warring periods, complete with guys walking around as samurai. i think there's a ninja theme park, too >_>;

if you wanna go to tokyo, everyone knows akibahara is geek central; the train stop labeled tokyo has got the imperial palace, among other sights. Roppongi has a lot of clubs and nightlife, massage parlors (some happy ending, some not, pay attention to prices. if it is really high, its happy ending.), and its the closest exit to Tokyo tower, tho its still a bit of a walk. shinjuku and shibuya are also kinda famous, for the bussiest foot traffic in a road in the world, and the skyscrapper district.

not to far down the lines from tokyo is yokohama, a city with lots of malls, and the "sky garden", the veiwing deck on the tallest building in japan. on a clear day, you get a great view of mount fuji. it is beileved that if you dont climb mount fuji while you are here, you will come back. a bit further is kamakura, with lots of famous temples and shrines, including the giant buddha, and after kamakura is yokosuka, where i am not much here compared to all the cities, but there is a lot more american stuff, and the two things near every base: bars and... okay, there are no strip clubs (that i know of) but lots of happy ending message parlors. oh, and shore patrol might think you are a sailor (if you're american, or american looking), and try to stop you from drinking after 11.

the subways are very easy to navigate, and if you have trouble, most people speak some kind of english. if you can pronounce where you are going, they will help. hell, if you so much as look confused, they might try and help, with or without you asking. there are also guys threwout the train stations at desks that can help you (they usaully even have little pocket maps of the train systems you can use). there are two major train companies ( i dont know thier names, its like jp and kiekyu, or something like that. theres almost always a store near the train stations, when you first get to the station, you would wanna go to the store, and ask the cashier for a "suica (su-ee-ka) card". there is another card for the otehr company, i dont know what its called, but they are interchangable. both railways accept the other's card. it will cost a little more than 2000 yen (like $20 give or take), and you can use it to get into/out of train stations. i recommend putting another 2000 or so yen on the card at the things that look like atms near the train station entrance. depending on which station it is, there will either be a red button to ask for help, or a little thing on the bottom left you can push aside, with a push-for-help button under it. if it is this kind, i warn you now, a guys head WILL pop out of the wall right next to you. dont push it just to see it. theres also a push for english button, but i couldnt tell you where it is offhand. i beleive its on the upper left side. when you get to the the turnstiles, there is a a little square display with a picture of a suica card on it, you tap the card on this, and it will read the card and let you in. you exit the next station the same way. two last things, around seven-ish is rush hour on the trains. you will be packed in like a sardine, with guys wearing white gloves pushing everyone in. i'd avoid it, especially if you are a woman, and most definiatly if you are a blonde woman. the other thing is be aware of your surroundings. most japanese are extreamly polite, and try to act as the best hosts as they can (even if they must go way out of their way to help you, i've heard of them even going to a train station with you to make sure you get on the right connection) but there are always bad apples. im sure everyone knows of the groppers on the train; there are also hi-tech theives that can steal money off your suica card by waving a reader near your wallet (this nearly happened to me in shibuya)

Is this suica card something like the Oyster card in London?Don't know if you know it,but it sounds similiar....

漫画喫茶 (Internet cafes where you can read manga)
They have between approximately 15,000 and 60,000 manga books. Usually, a shop will have around 20,000.
The division between smoking and non-smoking sections are often poorly managed, and may be tough for non-smokers to handle.
It can be cheaper than an inn to stay here if you use the bundle fees to your advantage.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScOfA_y_Hmchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPaXNG-dbzU

Re: Travel to Japan

http://www.japan-guide.com
We planed our 3 weeks in Japan using this site for hotels and we found really cheap and great places ( even in tokyo)
Also the rail pass is compulsury if you plan to stay a few weeks. Plus japan trains are quite an experience in itself
We went in october and the weather was perfrect, we even bath on a beach of shikoku ( well we were the 5 only guys in the water )
And the food is quite cheap if you don't plan eating suchi at every meal.

Re: Travel to Japan

But rainy season doesn’t necessarily have to mean no fun. Visiting Japan can be enjoyable in every season of the year. Below is some info and some activities you can do during the rainy season:

Quote:

From the beginning of June, the rainy season (tsuyu) visits most parts of Japan, except Hokkaido. While it does not rain every day, the weather tends to be overcast and dreary. The duration and intensity of the rainy season can vary quite strongly from year to year.

Hot spring resorts like Hakone and the wooded temple mountain Koyasan are some of the places which can be quite attractive in rainy weather. Least affected by the rainy season, Hokkaido is an attractive destination in June.

If you would like to read for information about introductions to each month of the year with respect to travel in Japan, here’s the link. ^_^

Btw, what are some of the reasons that make you want to visit the “Land of the Rising Sun”?